Take a look at this Smith and Wesson Bullseye Extreme Ops knife. At only 3.22″ long, the 440C Teflon coated stainless steel, combo edge, tanto point blade is not big and scary. Rather, it has a sleek and stealthy design, and a great quality. Perfect for it’s intended use as an concealed weapon. Let’s be frank — this knife is not a hunting knife, it is not a utility knife, it is not a gentleman’s knife. It was designed and intended to for use as a weapon of self-defense. That is what Smith and Wesson does - they make weapons.

That is not to say that it can’t serve as your every day carry knife, ready for whatever comes your way. The partial serrations offer a choice in function.

The Teflon coated stainless steel cuts out the blade’s reflective surfaces for concealment. The tanto point is a common choice for combat knives, and I like the tanto because the point is actually a second edge. The 440C steel has strength, wear-resistance, and stain-resistance properties. It is generally considered a very good steel with aptitude for general use. A thumb rest is found on the spine of the blade, over the handle, and thumb studs are located on both sides of the blade for quick and easy ambidextrous opening. With a little practice, this knife will be out and ready to go in no time.

The 4.06″ stainless steel handle is designed to be lightweight and strong, with black G10 scales and a liner lock that holds the blade solidly. A removable stainless steel clip is included. As well, the knife can be attached via a lanyard hole.

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Smith and Wesson Extreme Ops Knife Model CKG103B US $9.83 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Nov-20-2008 4:23:59 PST Bid on this Item   | Watch this Item

Smith and Wesson EXTREME OPS Tanto Pocket Knife CK5TBS US $12.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Nov-20-2008 19:27:24 PST Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Smith and Wesson Black Extreme Ops Pocket Knife 34 US $9.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Nov-20-2008 21:14:02 PST Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Like the other knives in the Komachi line from KAI, the Japanese company best known for making the well regarded Shun knives, this knife is intended to be used to cut only one type of product or ingredient.

The pink color and animal shaped cutouts in the handle are the signal to the user that this knife is meant for raw meats. While this may seem an unusual approach, in larger commercial kitchens which follow HAACP sanitary programs, there are specific color coded knives and cutting boards intended for use with different ingredients and products so as to minimize the possibility of cross contamination. The seemingly odd appearance and cutesy colors of these knives shouldn’t be taken as a sign that these are anything other than serious tools which provide performance beyond what their low price point would imply.

This knife offers the kind of blade geometry that makes Japanese blades so popular amongst professionals. The steel used on a knife at this price point isn’t comparable to Japanese blades which can cost into the thousands of dollars. However, it’s up to the task for which it is intended and if maintained properly should provide the budget conscious cook with performance similar to or perhaps even a bit better than a comparable Forschner.

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Not pretty, but functional.

The Gerber Lariat incorporates a few modern folding knife features into a very utilitarian design, which in spite of being practical has little of the class most knife enthusiasts expect. It reminds me very much of the kitchen tools built for arthritic hands, with soft oversized handles that are hard to drop.

Undoubtedly this is a better knife than it looks. The 3.5″ stainless blade is a combo edge and does have dual thumb studs, making it a good knife for lefties. One handed opening for either hand isn’t very common. With a lanyard loop through the lanyard hole I think this would be a good knife for a sailor, or anyone who has to work with hands so cold you can’t use your thumbs at all.

A sheath is included, which makes up for the lack of a pocket clip. The biggest selling point I can see in the Lariat is that you could toss it in the bottom of a gear locker or a tackle box and dig it out a year later with confidence it would still have an edge. My fishing knives are usually knives like this one, the kind that I don’t worry or care about very much. If they get wet or get lost, so what?

Over time you might grow to like it, but even lefties deserve something with more class.

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Gerber Lariat Serrated 3.4" Edge Knife 3.4 oz #1409 NIB US $19.95 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Nov-21-2008 3:34:13 PST Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gerber Lariat 3.5" EXTRA Sharp Blade Linerlock Standard US $9.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Nov-21-2008 8:58:50 PST Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gerber Lariat 3.5" EXTRA Sharp Blade Linerlock Standard US $9.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Nov-21-2008 8:59:36 PST Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

The Gerber Evo evolves towards the light end of the knife spectrum, which is a place where those looking for an occasional use knife will be comfortable. I have no doubt that for most purposes the Evo is fine. It would be an intriguingly good choice for ultralight hikers, since its “pared to the minimum” style gives a total weight of only 2.8 ounces for a full sized knife with an anodized 3.43″ high carbon stainless steel blade. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a knife like the Evo clipped to someone’s gear on a Himalayan trek.

One minor change to the clip fastening method makes me like it a little more; the clip on this Evo features an indent, which makes it tougher to employ but much less likely to be lost on the trail. Once you tug it loose, it opens with one hand, something I’ve liked in a knife since I bought my first switchblade.

In their effort to trim away pointless weight, Gerber perforated the black aluminum handle with seven oval openings, a bold move which points out the thing I like least about this knife. The tang is pretty short.

That’s an issue with nearly any folding knife, but most are built so you can’t see it. There’s no stainless steel liner in this knife to make you feel like it might be built stouter. What you see is what you get, a lock blade that depends on a locking mechanism and a couple of inches of false tang for all its strength.

If you can leave well enough alone, this is a great ultralight hiking knife. If, like me, you are driven to test things until you find the breaking point, you should go with something more traditional.

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Gerber Knives Evo Jr Knife Clutch Multi Tool Combo Set US $16.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:05:04 PST Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gerber Black Evo Serrated + Evo Jr Plain Knife Combo US $25.95 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Nov-20-2008 22:02:18 PST Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gerber Knives Evo Jr Knife Clutch Multi Tool Combo Set US $16.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Nov-21-2008 17:29:25 PST Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

This ultra modern pocket knife is ergonomically designed for effective use. That could just be gibberish, but Spyderco actually did something differently and even a little better with this one. There’s a finger notch farther up the knife than usual, half handle and half blade. Does that make for easier use and better leverage? Yes.

If you buy the version with the combination edge — serrated at the base and plain at the tip — that advantage will be canceled out. Plain edge knives, even without the notch, are practical for that same reason: maximum leverage is right at the base of the blade. Every time I see a combo edge knife I think about how awkward it will be if I want to do something besides cut rope; plain edge knives are better for almost everything else.

The build of this knife is light duty. It’s not a prybar or a hammer. If you abuse it in those ways you’ll be sorry. If you need a pocketknife that won’t get lost under the change in your pocket, the clip on the Native’s handle will solve that problem perfectly. If you want a pocket knife with a handle stout enough to use without slipping in your hand, the wide and secure composite handle slabs give you that. The 3 1/8″ high carbon stainless steel blade unlocks and folds to a closed length of 3 15/16″, small enough to clip to your belt or pocket without looking like a survivalist even if you are one.

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SPYDERCO NATIVE BLACK, FREE SHIPPING BRAND NEW US $50.00 Auction Ends: Thursday Nov-20-2008 8:39:52 PST Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Spyderco Knives Native Pink Breast Cancer Knife 41PPN US $68.95 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:17:52 PST Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

SPYDERCO NATIVE PLAIN EDGE US $49.95 Auction Ends: Friday Nov-21-2008 4:49:34 PST Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

I’m always skeptical of technically complex knives–to win me over they have to be very well made. Grudgingly I am willing to put Columbia River knives in the accepted category. If you want a workhorse knife that opens easily with one hand, looks great in a futuristic sort of way, and is built solidly to last, the M16-13Z qualifies on all counts.

Columbia’s military versions feature all aluminum handles, but for this civilian model the handle scales are constructed of Zytel, a rugged synthetic material, and the result is a larger and wider handle that would be more comfortable for many who use knives often, as tools. The high carbon stainless steel 3 1/2″ spear point blade is long enough for most purposes and stout enough to withstand abuse. The combo edge offers superior rope cutting ability and enough traditional plain edge to handle more refined jobs. The removable steel clip allows carrying on belt or pocket, eliminating need for a sheath.

People who buy these knives like them. The only words of caution I have about them (the real Columbia knives–beware of counterfeits) involve getting them dirty. A refined product like this probably won’t flip open and lock in place when it’s mucked up with mud and sand or something even worse. M-16 is a good name for it–it will need something like the same level of care as that rifle.

The M-14, I remember with fondness–grit in the chamber, water in the barrel, it still worked. The M-16, I just remember it. If I hadn’t trained on the M-14 I’d have never complained.

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NEW Columbia River Carson M16 SRT Folding Knife US $79.99 Auction Ends: Saturday Nov-22-2008 11:07:53 PST Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

CRKT Columbia River "Fire Rescue Knife" Folding M16-12 US $49.99 Auction Ends: Wednesday Nov-26-2008 17:15:12 PST Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

CRKT Columbia River "Fire Rescue Knife" Folding M16-12 US $49.99 Auction Ends: Wednesday Nov-26-2008 17:22:15 PST Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

There’s no denying the fact that the Komachi knives offered by KAI, the makers of the well regarded Shun knives look a bit whimsical, if not a little silly. There are few knives on the market which bear significant resemblance to these knives.

Although a pro cook might well be laughed off the line if he or she were to pull out a knife looking anything like this, the colored resin coating the blades reports to have some hygienic benefits, and the colors used on the different types of knives do have at least a passing similarity to the colors used in HAACP programs designed to reduce likelihood of cross contamination of food and preparation surfaces.

Once you get past the pretty colors and cute cutouts in the handles (a tiny bread loaf in this case), the knives are all business and bear the hallmarks of a respected Japanese knife maker like KAI.

The construction is quite good and I would expect it to hold up well if used in it’s intended purpose. While this bread knife is a bit on the short side for my taste, I’m sure it would be good for home use or as a utility slicer in a pro setting. Were KAI to offer this knife in a longer model, I’d consider it to be on par with a comparable Forschner bread knife and predict it would perform as well, if not a bit better.

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Fully extended, this collapsible training sword is 37″ long, lightweight, and stable; retracted, the entire sword will fit into a ten inch carrying case. It is by no means strong enough to be used in self defense or in striking practice, but that is not the purpose here. Many people relying on public transportation to get to and from training find that carrying a traditional Tai Chi sword is impractical. The collapsible sword gets you on and off the bus or train without trouble.

For beginners, the light weight is a welcome advantage. The slow movements of Tai Chi very quickly show up the weaknesses of modern arms and wrists. Few of us have the natural strength to steady a heavy sword in the air for long, let alone swing it accurately in a slow arc. The collapsible sword allows the user to acquire strength and control before moving on to a solid and practical blade.

The red tassles attached to the ornate hilt are not simply for show. If you move at a correct and steady speed those tassles will hang steady in the air–if they bounce and swing you just don’t have it right yet. Some say they can be used in combat, as a distracting device. I used to wear a Tickle Me Elmo kungfu t-shirt for the same reason. I could wear the t-shirt without embarrassment, but red tassles are too much for me; I took them off my own practice sword after a couple of days.

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Everything you’d want from a tactical folder, plus a hilt! Columbia River has been around for fifteen years, manufacturing knives from space age materials and with a space age look. Gradually that avant garde outlook shifts around to what we we already knew, a tanto blade for superior armour penetration and a hilt to keep your fingers off the blade.

The openwork handle is aircraft quality black anodized aluminum scale; the 3.875″ blade is high quality high carbon alloy stainless steel. Once open, the blade locks into place, rivaling a fixed blade design in terms of strength. Crisis over, with a little practice you can close the knife with one hand.

The combo fine and serrated blade is a multi-purpose choice, with enough traditional blade edge to make the knife useful for ordinary purposes. The knife is equipped with a steel clip but is not recommended for pocket use. Hang it from your belt or your pack webbing instead.

The black anodized blade and tanto style qualify this as a military knife, but if it’s so complex it requires instructions for operation I have to wonder why it’s better than a fixed blade sheath knife. Some people like complexity–if you buy genuine Columbia River knives, you get the best of that genre.

Whether this is your own best choice will depend on what you like. This is a techie’s knife and will require regular cleaning, if you’re the sort of person who gets things dirty. If the openwork and crevices fill with sand and muck, the blade may not swing and lock as easily and reliably as when you took it out of the box.

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Columbia River CRKT M16-13SF Special Forces Knife US $65.99 Auction Ends: Friday Nov-21-2008 17:13:56 PST Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

CRKT Columbia River M16-14SF Special Forces Knife US $89.95 Auction Ends: Tuesday Nov-25-2008 5:34:44 PST Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Columbia River CRKT M16-13SF Special Forces Knife US $65.99 Auction Ends: Wednesday Nov-26-2008 7:14:10 PST Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

This beautiful hollow ground traditional skinning knife, with a thick 4 1/4″ high carbon stainless blade, combines the best of old and new. Used to be that knives came with an edge so crudely beveled that it was a mark of pride among the old whittlers on my home town’s square that they had spent the many careful hours of whetting required to actually shape the edge well enough to actually cut. Hollow grinding makes that level of edge available to even those of us who don’t have much time to spare.

I can appreciate a good machinist’s blade but that is an entirely different approach than Buck’s, the company that still pursues the high end of the smith’s art. This fixed blade knife is short enough for good leverage and power, features important to a skinning knife as well as a general purpose utility model. The handle with its rich ebony woodgrain look is hand friendly, so if you undertake a project that requires more than a few minutes you won’t blister the skin off your hands. It’s an outdoorsman’s knife, but only because wearing a sheath knife to work is not socially acceptable today.

Despite the many folding versions of hunting and skinning knives available, the fixed blade sheath knife is still the best choice for field use. That’s not just because it is simple and won’t fail; the old styles are naturally more sanitary and easily cleaned. You may not think that’s an issue until you spend a few days in the bush with intestinal troubles. After that, a folding skinner may not look so pretty.

Buck puts its lifetime warranty up front where you can see it; it’s a name to trust.

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Buck Vanguard 192 USA Fixed Blade Knife Unused No Res US $31.11 (11 Bids) Auction Ends: Thursday Nov-20-2008 15:51:12 PST Bid on this Item   | Watch this Item

Buck Vanguard Fixed Blade Knife w/ Rubber Handle 692BKS US $43.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Nov-20-2008 16:10:35 PST Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

BUCK VANGUARD 692BKS-B HUNTING KNIFE/RUBBER HANDLE NIB US $31.03 (8 Bids) Auction Ends: Thursday Nov-20-2008 18:00:00 PST Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item